Nicely Done! Over 200 people — better than 1/3 of all AV-1 members — responded to the second AV-1 survey (Salary and Education). Significant sample data such as these enable us to feel comfortable suggesting that some of these statistics fairly represent the learning space microcosm, as a whole. (We expect that you will let us know otherwise!)

Later this week, we’ll share some organizational demographics gleaned from your responses, however, today we cut right to the chase and show you the money, so-to-speak…

Salary and Education

85% of the community possess some kind of college degree. Educational background, though not a guarantee of success or position, clearly contributes to income:

On average, those with Bachelor’s degrees earned almost 8% more than those with 2-year degrees.

Those with a Master’s earned nearly 20% more than they would have with just a 4-year degree.

The average salary of those with a terminal degree bested a Master’s by another 16%.

Does this speak to the professionalism of the group? Does this help us convince people (including ourselves) that we are not just cart pushers?

Roles, Leadership and Salary

Nearly three-quarters of us occupy a formal position of leadership. However, by virtue of the inclusive, non-hierarchical nature of the AV-1 community, it is reasonable to infer that the remaining 28% participate in their organizations as well-informed specialists and change agents.

It is surprising that, although Directors commanded the highest salary, one-third of all Directors possessed only a 4-year degree and at least two Directors commanded a $100k+ salary with only a technical certificate to their credit.

With nearly half of us earning at least $65,000 on average, is this an indication that there is genuine growth potential for those of us who occupy positions in the lower salary range? (Or, does it only make us envious of those 18 people making over $105,000?)

Salary Bands Across Business Sectors

In recent years, concerns over pay-scale inequity between similar roles in the public and private sectors have led many institutions to revise methodologies for assessing/rewarding competencies, encouraging professional development and recruiting/retaining a talented, diverse workforce.

Initiatives such as career banding were designed to offer the promise of fair-market wages to talented tech workers choosing between the public and private sectors.

To assess the extent of the wage-gap between the public and private sector, we compiled the average salaries for Directors and Managers with Master’s or Bachelor’s degrees.

Between private, non-profit organizations ($72,653) and publicly-funded institutions ($73,115) we found no statistical difference in average wage.

Between publicly-funded institutions and for-profit businesses, we found less than a 5% deviation in average wage.

Do these results seem representative of your observations in your region?

Would a broader sample from the for-profit sector reveal greater contrast?

Are there measures that your institution is implementing to close the gap?

The AV-1 community is based upon the belief that successful stewardship of learning ecosystems includes those engaged in every facet from planning and design to management and support.

Because of your participation, AV-1 is the first place to browse for insights, support, occasional LOLs and, sure, even a little moaning and groaning.

We think the community could benefit from a better understanding of the demographics of our diverse members — who we are, where we come from, where we work and how our jobs compare to those of our counterparts.

This week's AV-1 survey takes the initial steps toward that better understanding. The survey will take less than 60-seconds to complete and results will, of course post by the end of the week. It is entirely anonymous and non-fattening so click here and do it now!

For more than a quarter-century, VHS tapes (and VCRs) were the kings of on-demand video (at home, school and work). Never mind dog years, 25 tech-years are an eternity during which VHS users gleefully amassed large content collections without giving a second thought to the day of reckoning when a) dependable tape players would no longer be available and b) the medium would wear out.

Today, VCRs are hard to find. They are costly to purchase, integrate and lifecycle. Yet most institutions continue to rely upon pre-recorded VHS tapes, for which they have invested a small fortune.

How do classroom planners and technology managers deal with the inevitable transition away from VHS to a digital format? Please complete this simple survey as a means to begin this crucial dialog among your peers within the AV-1 community. We'll post a follow-up with survey results at the end of the week.

Redmond, WA. There is no denying the appeal of interactive whiteboards: to interact directly with the image transcends the mouse-and-keyboard experience, opening opportunities for memorable learning experiences. SMART Technologies, who introduced the first interactive whiteboard or "smartboard" in 1991, dominates this market, thanks more to its outstanding suite of applications than to SMART Boards, themselves.

But, what if you didn't need all those applications? Why fork out $2k-$10k for an all-too-small whiteboard? What if you could get most of what you needed for less than $100? Could you to do without some features (like recording capability) in exchange for others (such as the ability to have up to four people write on the board at the same time)? Would that be good enough?

What if you could achieve smartboard functionality on any kind of display, using only a $40 Wii video game controller and a few parts from Radio Shack?

AV Technology magazine wants to be your preferred resource for AV/IT. It is important to us to understand the challenges and obstacles you face while delivering enterprise-grade solutions, whether you do so on a local or global scale.